Page 12 of Somnium

“Serafina Travers, are you asking me on a girl-date?”

Sera let out a full laugh. “Don’t get too excited. You aren’t my type.”

Cadi snapped her fingers in mock disappointment. “But seriously, that sounds wonderful.”

“Excellent! Let’s just meet here beforehand and I can drive us.”

They quickly exchanged numbers, and Sera shot her one last smile before turning to disappear back to the bar.

Cadi’s chest swelled to the point where she thought she may burst. This evening had been everything she had wanted for years; it hardly felt real with how easily everything was falling into place.

She caught up with the others at the train station, smiling to herself when she found that not even Celine’s haughty comments about the state of the city’s transportation system could dampen her mood. They piled into the train car with a smattering of other late-night commuters, and Cadi settled into her seat, finally allowing herself to feel the excitement that had been steadily growing all evening.

“I can’t believe you actually signed up to be a temple attendant.” Sera laughed, sipping her wine. “You’re already there for Somnium, and now you’re voluntarily going back on Wednesdays to clean? Feels like a scam.”

Cadi chuckled, her cheeks flushing bright red from the mix of embarrassment and wine. “Hey, in my defense, I was coerced. Zoe somehow managed to con me into giving the Order a trial run for the next month, so here we are. Seriously, the woman should have gone into sales instead of healthcare.”

After that evening’s Somnium, Sera had insisted they visit Bacchus, her favorite spot in town, and the small wine bar seemed to breathe life around them. Every table was full, and the low hum of chatter drifted through the air. Soft lights hung from the ceiling, warming the tan stucco walls punctuated every few feet by fresco-style murals depicting various pastoral scenes. Vines hung from the exposed beams above them, trailing back to the plethora of hanging plants scattered around the space.

Cadi scrunched her shoulders and leaned to the side to make room for a chimera trying to squeeze her massive feline body between the chairs on the way to the restroom. Sera snorted, reaching forward to snag a piece of fruit from the thick wooden board that rested on the table between them.

“Whatever you say, nerd.”

Cadi laughed again as she spread a knife full of cheese across a piece of bread. It had surprised her how easy it was to fall into a rhythm of banter with Sera, her normal anxieties waning the longer she spent in the woman’s presence. She wasn’t sure what it was, but something seemed different about her. Maybe it was her ability to take Cadi’s awkwardness and make it seem endearing, or the way she didn’t take herself too seriously. Whatever it was, it felt good.

“Hopefully it won’t be that bad,” Cadi continued. “I mean, sure, it’s basically glorified housekeeping. And I have to wear this really unflattering, itchy robe. But they gave me a cool necklace!”

Sera crooked an eyebrow while Cadi dug through her tote bag, searching for the silver sigil necklace that was identical to Zoe’s. She pulled it free, holding it by the chain so it swung smoothly over the table.

“Apparently they aren’t just for looks, either,” she added, “they double as access badges and open every door in the temple. I practically had to leave my soul as collateral before they would give it to me.”

Cadi let Sera take it, watching as she ran her fingers along the delicate lines that made up the sign of the Order. Her eyes flicked to Cadi, sparking with mischief. “Should we pawn it?”

Cadi mocked a laugh. “Very funny; that would be a great way to get me sacrificed on the dais next week.”

“Damn, they don’t mess around.”

“I mean, I don’t know that they would resort to ritual murder, but I’d be in a lot of trouble if I lost it. That thing is basically an all-access pass to the temple’s inner workings, and I think everyone on the inside is on high alert with everything that is happening with the other gods.”

Sera’s shoulders stiffened slightly, and her eyes found Cadi’s for a moment before returning to the sigil still clutched in her hand. She held the object close to her face, turning it between her fingers a few times before dropping it back into Cadi’s waiting palm. “Fair enough. The Order has definitely made some enemies. Wouldn’t want that falling into the wrong hands.”

“Exactly,” Cadi agreed, her smile dipping slightly as she tucked the necklace back into her bag, a lingering curiosity beginning to needle at the back of her mind.

Enemies like Sera’s boss.

She had so many questions, all of them centered around how Sera had found herself working for someone who had such a complicated history with the Order. None of them were going to be easy to ask, but she found herself feeling annoyingly nosy about the whole dynamic. She leaned forward, studying the crystal glass in her hands as she nervously swirled the burgundy liquid, selecting her next words with care.

“How long have you been with the Order?”

Sera pressed her lips together in thought. “Three years next month.”

Cadi sat up a little straighter. “Three years and you haven’t gone through the Rite of Dedication? Why?”

Sera shrugged and stacked a few pieces of meat and cheese onto a cracker. “I just feel like I’m right where I need to be. No interest in giving more.”

It was clear by the finality in her tone that Cadi wasn’t going to get any more on that subject, and she decided not to push. A light tinkling sound rang from the spot where her fingers tapped against her glass while she considered her next question. One that, hopefully, wouldn’t get shut down quite as quickly.

“Have you worked at The Crow’s Nest the entire time?”